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teach4lisa Asked March 2013

How do you get into facilities that accept Medi-cal before your parent is sick enough to use the medi-cal benefits?

I have been trying to go and visit facilities for assisted living so that when my mom gets sicker, (she has COPD, congestive heart failure, chronic kidney disease), I have options on where she lives. She barely can afford the retirement home she is in and when she needs more assistance I have Medi-cal benefits ready- she will pay 1100 and they will pay the rest. My problem is that nobody wants to take medi-cal unless she is released into a place from the hospital or with doctor's orders...I would like to visit some places now, but nobody wants to let me visit until she needs it!

EXPERT Carol Bradley Bursack, CDSGF Mar 2013
In my community (we don't have a state program - just Medicaid), if there is an opening, a person can get into assisted living or a nursing home for private pay. Then, if their money runs out, if the family is smart like you and gets the paperwork done in time, the payment at the nursing home (and some assisted living centers) switches to Medicaid.

We still have a large problem in many areas in that many people need care but don't need hospitalization, so families have a hard time placing elders. I hope to see that change.

You could try www.ltcombudsman.org. The is the place where you find your long-term care representative. Type in the Zip code of the AL you are thinking about and you'll get a link to that contact. Then see if your representative has advice to help you.
Good luck,
Carol

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